Prony Village

This coastal village set in the Great South bears witness to New Caledonia's history as a penal colony. Founded in 1867 to supply Nouméa with wood, it was converted into a prison in 1873 before being used as a base for workers in the iron ore mine until 1968. The site remained abandoned from 1968 to 1990, when it was restored by the Association du Village de Prony. Thanks to its conservation work, you can now see some of the buildings imprisoned in the roots of the enormous banyan trees. There are still relics from what used to be Camp Sébert, including the old bread oven, the gunpowder store, the sled used for transporting wood and the officers’ barracks. Regular tours are organised by a heritage guide to give visitors the opportunity to immerse themselves in the memories of this unique place, which is still magical despite the passage of time.


You might even come across a treasure hunter or two: as the story goes, a convict got lucky at cards and died without ever divulging where in the village his loot was stashed...

*Do not drive through the gate in your car.
*Site also freely accessible.